Blue Aeroplanes to land in Sheffield

Jon Ball

The finest guitar band ever to come out of Bristol may not be much of an accolade, but art-rock institution The Blue Aeroplanes have had a big influence on modern music.

However the veterans’ – the band formed 35 years ago in 1981 – unique amalgam of rock, folk, poetry, punk, dance and art has been an acknowledged influence on a range of bands including global superstars REM and Radiohead.

Combining pop smarts with serious weirdness, they have released almost 30 albums on various labels, several of which have charted in the UK Top 40 and the US Alternative Top 10.

Their latest long-player, Welcome Stranger, is out on January 6 before the band embark on a UK tour, which includes a show at Sheffield’s iconic The Leadmill venue on Thursday, January 26.